Tip-up seat



A. MAIN.

TIP-UP SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1920.

1,394,03 Patented 001;. 18, 1921.,

A.MAL/V.

In venfor.

ALFRED MAIN, 0F ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND.

TIP-UP SEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed September 22, 1920. Serial No. 411,974.

To all whom it may concern: 7

e it known that I, ALFRED MAIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Aberdeen, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tip-Up Seats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tip-up seats as used in public halls, theaters, or the like, and has for its object to provide means whereby the seat can be maintained substantially horizontal until occupied, but which will automatically rise into a vertical position when the occupant leaves the seat.

According to the present invention the seat has three movements, the first being when it is depressed into a substantially horizontal position and held ready for occupation, the second when it is occupied, the seat being further depressed because of the persons weight, and the third movement being when the person leaves the seat, and the latter returns to its original and normal vertical position. The seat is then ready to go through the cycle of movements again.

In carrying out the present invention, the tip-up seat is provided with means for retaining the unoccupied seat in an intermediate substantial y horizontal position, and for releasing the seat when occupied, the means preferably comprising a spring pin or its equivalent cooperating with a camshaped member having front and rear curved faces and an intermediate recessed face.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference is hereinafter made to the accompanying drawings showing one form of the seat retaining means by way of example Figure 1 is a side view of a tip-up seat having the improved attachment applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a Side View tachment.

Fig. 3 is a front View of the attachment shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a View showing the spring pin carried by the seat.

In the form illustrated on the drawing, the seat 1 is provided with the usual pivots 2, and with springs (not shown) for nor mally returning the seat into a substantially vertical position. Situated at one or both sides of the seat is projecting pin 3 or its equivalent, preferably adapted to Work of the improved atwithin a socket 0r slotted member 4, (Fig. 4:) against the action of a spring. In the form illustrated, the projecting pin 3 comprises a steel rod having flattened end portions 5 and 6' at one end, thus forming a slmple means of attachment to the underside of the seat, while the flattened portion 5 gives flexibility to the pin 3. It will of course be understood that any other form of spring controlled pin may be employed.

Rigidly secured to the seat standard 7, in a position adjacent to the seat 1 is an attachment illustrated more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. This attachment comprises a base plate 8, which may be secured to the seat standard 7 by lugs 9 and 10 or in any other convenient manner, the base plate 8 carrying a cam-shaped member 11; two such cam-shaped members 11 may be provided, one at each'side of a center web 12, so that one attachment may be utilized for adjacent seats. The cam shaped member 11 is formed with two curved faces 14 and 15 and with an intermediate recessed face 16, and considered broadly, will be seen to comprise a trlangular con guration bounded by the curved faces and the recessed face.

Variable positions of the spring pin during the lowering and raising of the seat are indicated in Fig. 2. As shown thereon at a, the projecting pin engages the face 15 when the seat is being depressed, the pin 3 riding along the face 15 and being caused thereby to move within the guide 4, so that the flexible portion of the pin 5 is put in tension until the pin 3 reaches the position Z) (Fig. 2). Further downward pressure on the seat causes the pin 3 to spring into the recess formed by the face 16 and to prevent the pin from jumping the recess, a stop or abutment 13 may be provided against which the pin abuts as indicated at 0 (Fig. 2). On the downward pressure on' the seat being removed, the seat lifting springs slightly return the seat, causing the pin 3 to take up the position cl.

The seat has then assumed the first or holding down position and will remain so until the seat is further depressed.

Assuming that the seat is being occupied, the persons weight will cause the seat to be further depressed until it arrives at its lowest position, and in consequence thereof, the pin 3 will ride up the recessed face 16 in front of the abutment 13 into the position 6 when the pin 3 will have cleared the camshaped member 11. On the seat being vacated, the seat lifting springs will return the seat to its normal vertical position, causing the pin 3 to engage the other face 14 I of the cam-shaped member, pressing the pin 3 inwardly at f until it clears the face 14 and returns to its original and normal position a. r

It will be understood that the shape of the cam-shaped member 11 may readily be varied without altering its function and that the attachment may be fitted in front of the seat pivot 2, instead of in the rear thereof as shown on the drawings, if found desirable and by corresponding modification of the shape of the member 11.

It will be seen that the cam surfaces of the member 11 are preferably formed by two curved faces 14 and 15, the front face 14 being concave and the rear face 15 convex, the convex face 15 terminating in the recessed face 16.

What I claim is 1. Means for holding a tip-up seat in an intermediate, substantially horizontal position before occupation, comprlslng in combination a flexible rod member, fixed to the rear of the seat, and projecting from the side thereof, a cam member, juxtaposed to the free end of said flexible rod, a recessed face on said cam member, shaped to receive said free end, a contiguous face on said cam member arranged in the path of said free end of the flexible rod when the seat is being tilted to the intermediate position, said contiguous face having a configuration to first distort said pin, and then,

in the intermediate position of said seat, to allow the pin to jump into said recessed face, and a fixed abutment arranged above face to prevent the pin jumping across the recessed face, and to guide it thereinto, the recessed face having a configuration permitting the free end of said pin to ride away from under said abutment and out of said recessed face when the seat is occupied, thereby leaving the seat free to rise to a vertical position when the seat is vacated.

2. Means for holding a tip-up seat in an intermediate, substantially horizontal position before occupation, comprising in com said recessed I bination a flexible rod member fixed to the rear of the seat, and projecting from the side thereof, a cam member juxtaposed to the free end of said flexible rod, a recessed face, at the top of said cam member, shaped to receive said free end, a contiguous convex face on the rear of said cam member arranged in the path of said free end of the flexible rod, when the seat is being tilted to the intermediate position, said convex face first distorting said pin and then, in the intermediate position of said seat, allowing the pin to jump into said recessed face, a fixed abutment arranged above said recessed face to prevent the pin jumping across the recessed face, and to guide it thereinto, a concave cam faceconnecting said recessed face to the convex face, said recessed face having a configuration permitting the free end of said pin to ride away from under said abutment and out of said recessed'face when the seat is occupied, thereby leaving the "seat free to rise to a vertical position whenrthe seat is vacated. i w

3. Means-for holding a tip-up seat in an intermediate, substantially horizontal position, comprising in combination a flexible rod fastened underneath and towar d the rear of said seat and projecting from one side, a slotted member fixed to the under side of said seat, and sleeved over the projecting free end of the flexible rod to limitthe movement thereof, and a fitting formed as a single casting fixed adjacent the projecting free end of said flexible rod, comprising a cam member having a top recessed face and contiguous convex and-concave faces,

and an abutment arranged above said recess substantially as'and for the purpose set forth. I i

4. In combination with a series of'tip-up seats arranged side by side, means for hold ing them in anintermediate, substantially horizontal, position, before occupation, comprising a fitting disposed between each pair of seats, and a flexible rod member fixed adjacent the rear of each seat of a pair and projecting from the side of the seat adj acentv the fitting, the fitting having on each side an integral fixed abutment and a cooperating integral triangular shaped cam member, substantially as set forth. 7

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' ALFRED MAIN. 

